Millennials
Today Millennials, or Generation Y, as they are sometimes called, catch a lot of negative energy from previous generation for being obsessed with technology, unwilling to find jobs, and outright lazy. Generation X, and primarily Baby Boomers wonder why Millennials did not play more outside, or walk seven miles both ways in the snow to sit on a dirt floor in school. They are touted as being too sensitive, whiny, overly-politically correct, and at times are blamed for ruining the country. While there is some truth to these claims, there are explanations for why Millennials live their lives the way that they do. The fact of the matter is, Millennials are, as a whole not too lazy or obsessed with technology, etc. but rather society is changing and older generations are unwilling to accept younger generations have adapted.
Generation Y was born after the digital divide that managed to draw such a distinct line between Baby Boomers and many from Generation X. One either accepted the extensive use of the internet or one did not. Many Baby Boomers did not, seeing it as unnecessary overreliance on technology they had previously not needed. Generation X warmed more to the idea, but did not have the upbringing of a Millennial, who was literally born into what could arguably be called a virtual reality. Many Millennials will not recall a day of their lives without the internet. More today were born into families with parents who had smartphones or tablets seemingly surgically attached to their hands, either for work or fun. Children from the generation receive some of these gadgets at surprisingly young ages, learning to navigate the internet and all of its wonders. While it does change how a Millennial acts throughout their childhood and may appear as laziness or even be laziness in some cases, Millennials have crafted some skills older generations simply do not have that will benefit them in the changing world.
The internet is not just a door that allows us to waste time. It is also a door that allows us to learn. Millennials have the benefit to fact check everything around them, rather than rely on misinformation fed to them by friends, relatives, and others on the internet. The constant stimuli the internet and other various forms of technology have provided them since birth have also allowed them to cultivate certain abilities such as switching from task to task on a moment’s notice. While navigating from one site to another endlessly, and mindlessly, may look like laziness to some, Millennials are preparing themselves for a busy job market, once they get jobs. Moreover, particular computer games such as Call of Duty and World of Warcraft have encouraged Millennials to accept teamwork and recognize its benefits. The rewards of these games are meaningless, but the lessons taught by them will come in handy when Millennials are faced with tasks in the real world they cannot accomplish alone. Many individuals from older generations, in contrast, do not like working in teams and only do so when forced which will leave them at a disadvantage. These are prime examples of how society is changing and Millennials are adapting to meet these changes.
The Millennial generation is often accused of being unwilling to find jobs or take the jobs that are available. Older generations accuse them of being spoiled, while also calling them too sensitive, and too politically correct. There are many things that are arguable about these statements. To begin, Millennials are prepared to find jobs, work in any job, and fill out whatever application they can get their hands on. Unfortunately, the country’s timeline shows us even the first wave of this generation would have been graduating college just as the recession began knocking the best and brightest out of their positions at major companies. Individuals with Bachelors and Masters Degrees are sometimes seen working alongside those with only a high school diploma at the local Walmart. It is not a matter of willingness; it is a matter of a lack of jobs. To state Millennials are lazy because they are not working is to deny the current state of the job market, as well as the fact that older generations are employed first.
Moreover, to assume Millennials are too politically correct is also to deny the changing landscape of the nation. Many changes have taken place just in the last decade, especially concerning human rights. Homosexuals can get married. Many states are not allowing those couples to adopt when before they were often denied the right. Homosexuals are also allowed to be out and while serving in the military. African American citizens are beginning to gain more traction in the fight for equal rights as more lives are taken every day. Transphobia is being faced head-on, primarily by the millennial generation. Perhaps they are not too sensitive, but rather more accepting than previous generations. For example, transgender individuals are not a population who suddenly appeared with the Millennial generation; they have been around as long as humans have been around. The only difference is now they are able to make the alterations to their body that their minds desperately need.
Millennials, understanding the world is a diverse place with many different types of people in it, are not a group of people who typically stand for human rights violations and in an effort to stem the tide of hate and anger, they have gone so far as to alter the English language in order to make individuals in vulnerable populations feel more comfortable and safe as they navigate a hostile environment often created by older generations. It is framed as a generation that thrives on political correctness, and it is technically. However, it is also a generation who understands empathy and the way the world is shifting. Rather than blame Millennials for the politically correct landscape, or bashing them for oversensitivity, is may be time for older generations to question why they are so threatened by what is different.
In sum, the Generation Y group is blamed for a lot, and accused of many things. However, upon closer examination it appears there are explanations for everything they are blamed for and accused of. While they may be physically lazier than previous generations, they are mentally more capable than Generation X and the Baby Boomers in several different ways. This will work to their advantage, primarily because America is no longer a physically active, manufacturing country. Instead it is a country built on technology; Millennials are tapping into this early in their lives and they will understand it better than most. They are not unwilling to get jobs at any point during employable ages. Instead, there are fewer jobs to be had. Many Millennials entered college with a certain major in mind, and after leaving that major was no longer viable, regardless of how technologically savvy they were. Competition is fierce and most high paying jobs that are considered decent want an employee with experience. Unfortunately, all of the experience was already taken by the previous generations. Finally, before we accuse the Millennials of being too sensitive or too politically correct, we should examine how the United States is trying to be accommodating to everybody. We should also understand America is in the middle of a cultural shift where we no longer adhere to what was once considered the normal social paradigm and instead try to make everybody comfortable, rather than only the majority. Baby Boomers are made uncomfortable by this, and accuse Millennials of ruining the country, but it is the country that is changing and Millennials who are adapting. Once more, we are forced to ask why previous generations cannot do the same.
